“Back in communism, you could walk the streets safely – not like today.”
According to a study conducted by INSCOP for the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER), published in July 2025, 75.1% of Romanians believe there was more public safety during communism.
But this romanticized perception ignores a harsh reality: crime in communism was concealed through strict media control and enforced silence. Violent crimes did happen, but details were kept out of the newspapers and never made the front page.
Below we explore four shocking cases that reveal the hidden side of crime under the communist regime — cases ignored or deliberately covered up by the authorities.
The Poiana Brașov Murders – “Operation Bradul” and the Unseen Killer
Between 1969 and 1971, four women — including foreign tourists — were raped and brutally murdered in the mountain resorts of Brașov County. The press was silenced, but the gruesome details circulated by word of mouth: strangulation, sexual assault, and bodies dumped in the forest.
The cases were secretly investigated under the codename “Operation Bradul.” One key suspect, Colonel Stelian Perianu, a DIE officer and husband of one of the victims, was protected despite clear evidence against him. The case was closed in 1986, and the investigation files were destroyed. This remains one of the most disturbing examples of an unidentified serial killer during communism, with truth deliberately buried by the regime.
Ion Rîmaru – The Vampire Who Terrorized Bucharest
In the early 1970s, Bucharest was paralyzed by fear. A serial killer targeted women at night in poorly lit areas. Many were raped, bitten, mutilated — some had blood drained from their bodies.
Ion Rîmaru was eventually captured and executed in 1971. Later, it was revealed that his father had also been a serial killer, never imprisoned by the regime. This chilling case of criminality in communism was hidden from the public until the authorities could no longer contain the panic.
Anca Broscățeanu – Miscarriage of Justice or Political Cover-Up?
In July 1977, Bucharest was shaken by the discovery of body parts belonging to a young woman. The victim, Anca Broscățeanu, had come from Sibiu to take her university entrance exam. Investigators quickly arrested and tortured a taxi driver, Gheorghe Samoilescu, who falsely confessed under pressure.
The truth emerged in 1981 when Romca Cozmici was caught attempting a similar murder. In his possession was Anca’s watch, containing a photo of her boyfriend. Cozmici confessed to the crime. This remains one of Romania’s worst miscarriages of justice — or perhaps a deliberate political cover-up meant to preserve the illusion of public safety in the aftermath of the Rîmaru scandal.
The New Year’s Eve Killer – Four Years, Four Children Murdered
Between 1985 and 1988, a child was murdered in Buzău every New Year’s Eve — each victim stabbed exactly 24 times. The killings bore the same signature. The murderer was Grigore Uruc, an illiterate peasant who managed to outwit the authorities for four years, despite Nicolae Ceaușescu himself demanding results.
These crimes revealed the limits of a brutal but incompetent system. Despite the regime’s obsession with control, it failed to stop a dangerous serial killer. Uruc was finally captured in 1988 and executed. He was the second-to-last person sentenced to death in Romania. His victims — orphaned, vulnerable children — were neglected by a system that claimed to care for everyone.
Conclusion: Hidden Crimes, Enforced Silence
These cases are just a few among many crimes under communism that were either improperly investigated or deliberately concealed. From serial killers shielded by the system to manipulated investigations and forgotten victims, the truth about crime in communism was distorted to preserve the illusion of a “safe” regime.
At the Museum of Communism in Bucharest, we tell the whole story. Visit us in the heart of the Old Town, on Covaci Street no. 6, and discover the reality behind the propaganda.